MANILA – The University of the Philippines (UP) said on Friday Bo Perasol remains as its men's basketball head coach.
Renan Dalisay, the founder of the Nowhere To Go But UP group that backs the Fighting Maroons, first belied initial reports that Perasol has stepped down as their coach, even calling the said news updates "fake news."
"Sa mga balita na lumalabas about UP and Coach Bo, masasabi ko lang na lahat yan ay (About the reports that surfaced about UP and Coach Bo, all I can say is that they are all) fake news," Dalisay said in a Facebook post.
Francis Diaz, dean of the UP College of Human Kinetics in Quezon City, added, "Right now Coach Bo is still the UPMBT (men's basketball team) head coach and he has not resigned."
Both officials said there are "formal processes" on selecting the UP coach amid rumors that Goldwyn Monteverde is set to take on the job.
Dalisay denied the coaching shake-up rumors in saying that reports quoting an "unnamed source," which he tagged as "leakages," are not the way to announce the next Maroons mentor.
"That’s not how the UP system works," he said.
He added, "It's still status quo today and UP has not even allowed varsity teams to meet and practice."
Dalisay then believes, "Obviously, mukhang hindi taga UP naglalabas nyan (the one who came out with that is not from UP)."
The UP coaching rigodon rumor came while Perasol, who has been the Fighting Maroons' chief tactician since 2016, is bereaving at the passing of his mother Beth due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
"The entire UP community (officials, varsity program, UP MBT, and the alumni) is bereaving with Coach Bo on the recent passing of his mother due to Covid-19," Diaz said, as he condoled with the Perasol family on behalf of the UP community. (PNA)
